San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-08-18

veyor. general to cover 472,OOO. An
honest survey would reduce the tract
to $4,000 acres or less. No record
of the so-called Estancia grant is
found in the Mexican archives, but
the surveyor.general approved OF a
claim set up to 415,036 acres. The
illegal Chaves grant calls for l7,7l2
acres. The surveyor, general increas-
ed it to 243,036 acres. These are
but few of the numerous illustra
tions given of the corrupt methods
by which the government has been
robbed of 100000 acres of the pub
lie domain. The men who, with the
cooperation of the dishonest govern,
ment officials, secured possession OF
this land still resist the efforts of the
government to regain possession oi
it, and it has remained for demo
cratic administratio to inagurate and
carry on the work of reclaiming il
from their grasp.
The Review article goes on tc
specify twice as many other similar
cases, which we have not space tc
enumerate. 1t then proceeds to show
that in the cases where Congress has
taken final action the state of things
is no better, and sums it up as fol
lows:
OF the patented and unpatentet
lands L have noticed, aggregating 8,
674, ,965 acres, L think it will be safe
to estimate that at least onehalf
namely, 4,337,4S2 acres, have Eeer
illegally devoted to private uses un
der invalid grants or unauthorized
surveys. II to this sum I add the
estimate before mentioned of from
four to five million acres unlawfully
appropriated in cases pending be
fore Congress-, an approximate esti
mate will be reached covering abou
100000 acres of the public domain
which are now and for many years
past have been, in the grasp of men
who have used and enjoyed the land
for their own emolument and whose
earnest prayer is to let alone in then
ill-gotten possessions.
The article proceeds to show that
Congress itself has been influenced
to favor these gigantic land piracies
and illustrates it by the notorious
Maxwell grant where they surrend
cred to the rapacity of the monopo
lists 1862, 7G4 acres of the public do
main on which hundreds of poo
men had settled in good faith and
made valuable improvements. 1t also
show up how the thieves controlled
the General Llnd Office under Grant
and Hayes, and how Dorsey at the
same time came into possession OF
his claim of nearly 100000 acres by
forgery, the grosest frauds and with
out the shadow of legal title. II
further shows that Dorsey and kind
red spirits have still controlling
influence in the afflirs of the
territory. In this connection we
quote the following sentence in
which q great truth is well expressed;
To rob man of his home is a
crime, second only to murder; and to
rob the nation Of its pubic domain,
and thus abridge the opportunity oi
landless men to acquire homes, is not
only crime against society, but q
cruel mockery of the poor.
We copy in full the las. two and a
half pages of the article:
What is the remedy for the evils l
have endavored to depict, and what
the hope of New Mexico? The an
swer Is already foreshadowed. In all
the cases in which confirmed and un-
patented grants have been extended
by false and fraudulent surveys, re-
survey should be made under the di-
rection of the General Land Office,
fixing the true boundary and area.
In all the cases in which patents to
confirmed grants haye been procured
by fraud, including lands not covered
by the confirmatory net of Congress,
suits to set aside such patents should
be instituted under the direction of
the Department of Justice. Aud the
grinding oligarchy of land sharks,
whose operations have so long been
the blight and paralysis of the Terri
tory, should be completely routed and
overthrown. This can only be ac-
complished by the speedy and final
adjudication of their pretended titles.
How shall this adjudication be Sc
curedi The act Of Congress Of July
22, 1854, expressly imposes this duty
upon that body; but Congress utterly
refuses 10 take any further action,
and, as l have shown. is unfit for
such service. Tue project of a
Land Commission is equally futile.
The act Of Congress Of 1851, proyid'
ing such a commission for California,
has been in operation for tbirty-six
years. and from thirty to forty cases
Of controversial title and survey are
yet undisposed Of. and nov pending
ia the Surveyor Generals Office, the
General Land OGice. OF the courts
The Commission was composed Of